Competition
USA Biolympiad (USABO)
Center for Excellence in Education (CEE)
Recognition
Certificates at the Open Exam stage (Honorable Mention = top 20%, Certificate of Merit = top 30%) and Semifinal stage (Recognition of Academic Excellence = top 50, Honorable Mention = next 75, Certificate of Merit = next 100). Top 20 Semifinalists attend in-person National Finals where medals are awarded; the top 4 gold medalists form Team USA at the International Biology Olympiad (IBO). No direct cash prize.
Deadline
Oct 30, 2026
The USA Biolympiad (USABO), run by the Center for Excellence in Education, is a multi-round national biology exam competition for U.S. high school students in grades 9-12, progressing from an online Open Exam through a Semifinal Exam to an in-person National Finals, from which the top four students represent the United States at the International Biology Olympiad.
Eligibility
- Grade levels
- High school
- Citizenship
- US citizen or legal permanent resident (green card) required to advance past the Open Exam round; the Open Exam itself has no citizenship requirement
- Fields of study
- Natural sciences, Science, Research
Application requirements
- School/Test Center registers and pays the $125 fee: A teacher or administrator registers the school (new or returning) at usabo-trc.org and pays the $125 registration fee, due no later than October 30, 2026 for the 2027 cycle.
- Student verifies host school and registers individually: Each student confirms their school is a registered USABO host, then registers themselves online (registration is by students only; parents may not register a child or use a parent email). Registration closes November 15, 2026.
- Take the online Open Exam (Round 1): 50-minute multiple-choice exam administered at the registered school/test center on February 3, 2027; open to any registered high school biology student in grades 9-12, no citizenship requirement.
- Qualify for and take the online Semifinal Exam (Round 2): Available to the top 10% of Open Exam scorers who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents; 120-minute exam on March 2, 2027.
- Advance to in-person National Finals (Round 3): Top 20 of the top 50 Semifinal scorers attend a 12-day in-person National Finals at a host university (June 20-30, 2027; 2027 location not yet published).
- Top 4 medalists represent USA at IBO: The four gold medalists from National Finals form Team USA and compete at the International Biology Olympiad, July 18-25, 2027, in Warsaw, Poland.
Verified Jul 8, 2026 · View official source